It has been an objective of many individuals within different industries to develop devices and methods for improving the combustion efficiency of hydrocarbon fuel burning systems. A major breakthrough in improving fuel combustion efficiency was the development of fuel catalysts that can be used to treat hydrocarbon based fuels prior to combustion. Examples of such fuel catalysts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,580,359; 5,738,692; 6,000,381; 6,306,185; and 6,770,105, the contents of each of which are herein incorporated by reference, which describe and claim a number of fuel catalyst formulations that have proven effective in improving combustion efficiency. In general, the fuel catalysts have been incorporated within in-line canisters or drop-in units in order to treat fuel prior to combustion and to maintain the stability of the fuel during storage, although other methods of employing the catalysts include the coating of interior surfaces of fuel storage containers or fuel lines with the catalyst materials.
In addition to improving combustion efficiency, there is also a need to protect fuels from various forms of contamination that may impair or reduce combustion efficiency. For example, micro-bacterial growth within diesel fuels has been known to cause operational problems, corrosion, and sediment build-up within diesel engine fuel systems. The growth of microbes in fuel as a contamination problem is acknowledged in the “Recommended Guidelines on Diesel Fuel” published by the Engine Manufacturer's Association of Chicago, Ill. In fact, many microorganisms have been demonstrated to utilize petroleum fuel products to fulfill their nutritional requirement for carbon resulting in a degradation of fuel.
Accordingly, in addition to improving combustion efficiency and maintaining the stability of fuel, it would also be desirable to provide a method and device capable of resuscitating and revitalizing fuel that would normally be considered sub-optimal or poor due to the above-described bio-contamination.